General and complete disarmament

Transparency in armaments

The General Assembly,

Realizing that excessive and destabilizing arms build-ups pose a
threat to national, regional and international peace and security,
particularly by aggravating tensions and conflict situations, giving
rise to serious and urgent concerns,

Noting with satisfaction that the current international environment
and recent agreements and measures in the field of arms limitation and
disarmament make it a propitious time to work towards easing tensions
and a just resolution of conflict situations, as well as more openness
and transparency in military matters,

Recalling the consensus among Member States on implementing
confidence-building measures, including transparency and exchange of
relevant information on armaments, likely to reduce the occurrence of
dangerous misperceptions about the intentions of States and to promote
trust among States,

Considering that increased openness and transparency in the field of
armaments could enhance confidence, ease tensions, strengthen regional
and international peace and security and contribute to restraint in
military production and the transfer of arms,

Realizing the urgent need to resolve underlying conflicts, to
diminish tensions and to accelerate efforts towards general and complete
disarmament under strict and effective international control with a view
to maintaining regional and international peace and security in a world
free from the scourge of war and the burden of armaments,

Recalling also that in paragraph 85 of the Final Document of the
Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly it urged major arms
supplier and recipient countries to consult on the limitation of all
types of international transfer of conventional arms,

Disturbed by the destabilizing and destructive effects of the illicit
arms trade, particularly for the internal situation of affected States
and the violation of human rights,

Bearing in mind that, in accordance with the Charter of the United
Nations, Member States have undertaken to promote the establishment and
maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion
for armaments of the world's human and economic resources, and that the
reduction of world military expenditures could have a significant
positive impact for the social and economic development of all peoples,

Reaffirming the important role of the United Nations in the field of
disarmament and the commitment of Member States to take concrete steps
in order to strengthen that role,

Recalling its resolution 43/75 I of 7 December 1988,

Welcoming the study submitted by the Secretary-General, pursuant to
paragraph 5 of resolution 43/75 I and prepared with the assistance of
governmental experts, on ways and means of promoting transparency in
international transfers of conventional arms, as well as the problem of
the illicit arms trade, taking into account views of Member States and
other relevant information,

Recognizing the major contribution of an enhanced level of
transparency in armaments to confidence-building and security among
States, and also recognizing the urgent need to establish, under the
auspices of the United Nations, as a first step in this direction, a
universal and non-discriminatory register to include data on
international arms transfers as well as other interrelated information
provided to the Secretary-General,

Stressing the importance of greater transparency in the interest of
promoting readiness to exercise restraint in accumulation of armaments,

Considering that the standardized reporting of international arms
transfers together with the provision of other interrelated information
to a United Nations register will constitute further important steps
forward in the promotion of transparency in military matters and, as
such, will enhance the role and effectiveness of the United Nations in
promoting arms limitation and disarmament, as well as in maintaining
international peace and security;

Recognizing also the importance of the prevention of the
proliferation of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction,

1. Recognizes that an increased level of openness and transparency in
the field of armaments would enhance confidence, promote stability, help
States to exercise restraint, ease tensions and strengthen regional and
international peace and security;

2. Declares its determination to prevent the excessive and
destabilizing accumulation of arms, including conventional arms, in
order to promote stability and strengthen regional or international
peace and security, taking into account the legitimate security needs of
States and the principle of undiminished security at the lowest possible
level of armaments;

3. Reaffirms the inherent right to individual or collective self-defence
recognized in Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, which
implies that States also have the right to acquire arms with which to
defend themselves;

4. Reiterates its conviction, as expressed in its resolution 43/75 I,
that arms transfers in all their aspects deserve serious consideration
by the international community, inter alia, because of:

(a) Their potential effects in further destabilizing areas where
tension and regional conflict threaten international peace and security
and national security;

(b) Their potentially negative effects on the progress of the
peaceful social and economic development of all peoples;

(c) The danger of increasing illicit and covert arms trafficking;

5. Calls upon all Member States to exercise due restraint in exports
and imports of conventional arms, particularly in situations of tension
or conflict, and to ensure that they have in place an adequate body of
laws and administrative procedures regarding the transfer of arms and to
adopt strict measures for their enforcement;

6. Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General for his study
on ways and means of promoting transparency in international transfers
of conventional arms, which also addressed the problem of the illicit
arms trade;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to establish and maintain at United
Nations Headquarters in New York a universal and non-discriminatory
Register of Conventional Arms, to include data on international arms
transfers as well as information provided by Member States on military
holdings, procurement through national production and relevant policies,
as set out in paragraph 10 below and in accordance with procedures and
input requirements initially comprising those set out in the annex to
the present resolution and subsequently incorporating any adjustments to
the annex decided upon by the General Assembly at its forty- seventh
session in the light of the recommendations of the panel referred to in
paragraph 8 below;

8. Also requests the Secretary-General, with the assistance of a
panel of governmental technical experts to be nominated by him on the
basis of equitable geographical representation, to elaborate the
technical procedures and to make any adjustments to the annex to the
present resolution necessary for the effective operation of the
Register, and to prepare a report on the mDDAlities for early expansion
of the scope of the Register by the addition of further categories of
equipment and inclusion of data on military holdings and procurement
through national production, and to report to the General Assembly at
its forty-seventh session;

9. Calls upon all Member States to provide annually for the Register
data on imports and exports of arms in accordance with the procedures
established by paragraphs 7 and 8 above;

10. Invites Member States, pending the expansion of the Register,
also to provide to the Secretary-General, with their annual report on
imports and exports of arms, available background information regarding
their military holdings, procurement through national production and
relevant policies, and requests the Secretary-General to record this
material and to make it available for consultation by Member States at
their request;

11. Decides, with a view to future expansion, to keep the scope of
and the participation in the Register under review, and, to this end:

(a) Invites Member States to provide the Secretary-General with their
views, not later than 30 April 1994, on:

(i) The operation of the Register during its first two years;

(ii)The addition of further categories of equipment and the
elaboration of the Register to include military holdings and procurement
through national production;

(b) Requests the Secretary-General, with the assistance of a group of
governmental experts convened in 1994 on the basis of equitable
geographical representation, to prepare a report on the continuing
operation of the Register and its further development, taking into
account the work of the Conference on Disarmament as set forth in
paragraphs 12 to 15 below and the views expressed by Member States, for
submission to the General Assembly with a view to a decision at its
forty-ninth session;

12. Requests the Conference on Disarmament to address, as soon as
possible, the question of the interrelated aspects of the excessive and
destabilizing accumulation of arms, including military holdings and
procurement through national production, and to elaborate universal and
non-discriminatory practical means to increase openness and transparency
in this field;

13. Also requests the Conference on Disarmament to address the
problems of, and the elaboration of practical means to increase,
openness and transparency related to the transfer of high technology
with military applications and to weapons of mass destruction, in
accordance with existing legal instruments;

14. Invites the Secretary-General to provide to the Conference on
Disarmament all relevant information, including, inter alia, views
submitted to him by Member States and information provided under the
United Nations system for the standardized reporting of military
expenditures, as well as on the work of the Disarmament Commission under
its agenda item entitled "Objective information on military
matters";

15. Further requests the Conference on Disarmament to include in its
annual report to the General Assembly a report on its work on this
issue;

16. Invites all Member States, in the meantime, to take measures on a
national, regional and global basis, including within the appropriate
forums, to promote openness and transparency in armaments;

17. Calls upon all Member States to cooperate at a regional and
subregional level, taking fully into account the specific conditions
prevailing in the region or subregion, with a view to enhancing and
coordinating international efforts aimed at increased openness and
transparency in armaments;

18. Also invites all Member States to inform the Secretary-General of
their national arms import and export policies, legislation and
administrative procedures, both as regards authorization of arms
transfers and prevention of illicit transfers;

19. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly
at its forty-seventh session on progress made in implementing the
present resolution, including relevant information provided by Member
States;

20. Notes that effective implementation of the present resolution
will require an up-to-date database system in the Department of Disarmament Affairs of the Secretariat;

21. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-seventh
session an item entitled "Transparency in armaments".

ANNEX

Register of Conventional Arms

1. The Register of Conventional Arms ("the Register") shall
be established, with effect from 1 January 1992, and maintained at the
Headquarters of the United Nations in New York.

2. Concerning international arms transfers:

(a) Member States are requested to provide data for the Register,
addressed to the Secretary-General, on the number of items in the
following categories of equipment imported into or exported from their
territory:

I. Battle tanks

A tracked or wheeled self-propelled armoured fighting vehicle with
high cross-country mobility and a high level of self-protection,
weighing at least 16.5 metric tonnes unladen weight, with a high muzzle
velocity direct fire main gun of at least 75 millimetres calibre.

II. Armoured combat vehicles

A tracked or wheeled self-propelled vehicle, with armoured protection
and cross-country capability, either: (a) designed and equipped to
transport a squad of four or more infantrymen, or (b) armed with an
integral or organic weapon of at least 20 millimetres calibre or an
anti- tank missile launcher.

III. Large calibre artillery systems

A gun, howitzer, artillery piece combining the characteristics of a
gun and a howitzer, mortar or multiple-launch rocket system, capable of
engaging surface targets by delivering primarily indirect fire, with a
calibre of 100 millimetres and above.

IV. Combat aircraft

A fixed-wing or variable-geometry wing aircraft armed and equipped to
engage targets by employing guided missiles, unguided rockets, bombs,
guns, cannons, or other weapons of destruction.

V. Attack helicopters

A rotary-wing aircraft equipped to employ anti-armour, air-to-ground,
or air-to-air guided weapons and equipped with an integrated fire
control and aiming system for these weapons.

VI. Warships

A vessel or submarine with a standard displacement of 850 metric
tonnes or above, armed or equipped for military use.

VII. Missiles or missile systems

A guided rocket, ballistic or cruise missile capable of delivering a
payload to a range of at least 25 kilometres, or a vehicle, apparatus or
device designed or modified for launching such munitions.

(b) Data on imports provided under the present paragraph shall also
specify the supplying State; data on exports shall also specify the
recipient State and the State of origin if not the exporting State;

(c) Each Member State is requested to provide data on an annual basis
by 30 April each year in respect of imports into and exports from their
territory in the previous calendar year;

(d) The first such registration shall take place by 30 April 1993 in
respect of the calendar year 1992;

(e) The data so provided shall be recorded in respect of each Member
State;

(f) Arms "exports and imports" represent in the present
resolution, including its annex, all forms of arms transfers under terms
of grant, credit, barter or cash.

3. Concerning other interrelated information:

(a) Member States are invited also to provide to the
Secretary-General available background information regarding their
military holdings, procurement through national production, and relevant
policies;

(b) The information so provided shall be recorded in respect of each
Member State.

4. The Register shall be open for consultation by representatives of
Member States at any time.

5. In addition, the Secretary-General shall provide annually a
consolidated report to the General Assembly of the data registered,
together with an index of the other interrelated information.